Here’s Iowa early voting basics

October 11, 2012

The Office of the Iowa Secretary of State is providing some basic information about early voting in Iowa, which began on Sept. 27, based on the most frequently asked questions received over the past few days. We hope you find the following helpful.

That date was the 40th before election day, and the first day that absentee ballots may be voted in a county auditor's office.

Any Iowa voter may request an absentee ballot if they expect they cannot go to the polls on election day. Voting an absentee ballot may be done in one of three methods:

1. Voters may vote in-person in their county auditor's office during the regular business hours. The last day that a voter can vote an absentee ballot at the county auditor's office is Monday, Nov. 5

2. Voters may request an absentee ballot be mailed. The last day to request an absentee ballot by mail is Friday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m. If you request a ballot by mail, it must be returned to the county auditor's office by the following deadlines:

- In-person delivery Tuesday, Nov. 6 by 9 p.m.

-Mail delivery postmarked no later than Monday, Nov. 5 and received no later than noon on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Postmarks are not guaranteed. Please mail your ballot early to make sure it is received on time.

3. Satellite voting stations may be offered. Check with your local county auditor's office to see if satellite voting is available.

A voter who chooses to vote an absentee ballot by one of these methods will be asked to fill out an official Iowa absentee ballot request form.

Persons soliciting absentee ballot request forms while acting as an agent for a political party or candidate must offer a receipt to the voter for the completed request form.